Building unit and floor construction



Oct. 24, 1933. T. J. FOSTER BUILDING UNIT AND FLOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 8, 1928 .|.r.rJ..l. r l ....rAL. .15.1.1.1 l. l

ATTORNEYS jatenteol` ct. 2,74, 193.3

muren stares PATENT. ortica BUILDING UNIT LAND FLOOR yCONSTRUCTION Q n -Thomas J. Foster, Application November S,

13 Claims.

This invention relates to sound-proof floor construction having permanent 'forms incorporated therein, and aims .to provide suchr forms adapted to be made in sections of considerable size in advance of use and to be shipped` and handled as unitary slabs, which may be supported on or permanently secured between floor beams, andsubsequently filled and covered with concrete, wherebythe form unit becomes'incorporated into the floor slab as an integral element of the permanent floor` structure. If' desired, the bottom face of the form unit may be painted,` plastered or otherwise finished, either before or after beingincorporated in the slab, to constitute the permanent ceiling ofthe story below, of which it may form a considerable portion oi the exposed surface.

The aims of my invention include the provision of a light but strong combined form and v,licor `slab element having sound and heat-insulating qualities cheaply manufactured of readily avail able local materials, so constructed as to stack conveniently, and not to be injured by handling and by exposure before use, adapted to beeasily ,and quickly positioned for use, capable of supporting the weight of workmen walking thereon before the concrete has been poured, not sus'- ceptible of injury by the wet concrete, and having one face adaptedto become the major area of the finished ceilingbelow. y

My invention also includes the` provision of` means for attaching such vform and floor slab elements to the iioor beams or joists, 'and there-y by producing a continuous hoor and ceiling construction needing Vonly the oor yfinish to make it complete. Y l

A preferred embodiment of my invention is described in the following specification and. illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer tothe same parts throughout, and wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan viewof my floor form unit;

Fig. 2 is a View in perspective, including a part of the completed floor structure; and

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective and partialsection of a floor prior to placing the concrete or other plastic material, showing a method of attaching the form to a door beam. f

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, my improved form unit may conveniently be about four by eight feet, although the dimensions are of course subject to variation as desired. The preferred embodiment comprises a plurality of transverse sleepers 1-1, ordinarily wooden, constituting the foundation of the entire form. Each Vof ythese The I-beam is fitted with a pair of nailing blocks is coated on the bottompwith a. layer of binder 12, such as asphalt, having adhesive and sounddeadening properties. A unitary sheetl of'stii l material coextensive with the full area of lthe form is attached to the sleepers by the binder 12,7; '60 The gypsum wallboard commercially known `as Sheetrock has proved satisfactory for this pur-r pose on account of its properties as-an insulator or" sound andA heat, although I do not limit myself to anyA specic material. The bottom surface of the sheet l3'may be left in natural finish, While the top surface may be given a waterproof coating 14, whichv prevents kinjury to the sheet 13 during transportation and erection, and may alsovhave an additional soundproofing effect.

Wire reinforcement 15, herein shown as welded fabric of rectangular mesh, is fastened to the tops of the sleepers 11, being dropped between the' sleepers, as shown in Fig.' 2, to a suitable distance 75 above the sheet 13. Besides reinforcing the concrete in the completed construction, this mesh work takes care of loads during the progress of the building, such as the weight of persons stepping on the forms between the sleepers.

Light longitudinal strips 16 vmay be lnailed tok the tops of the sleepers 1l near their ends, to stiften the form element, to provide a convenientY hold at each edge for handling, and as spacers to keep the forms separated when stacked, thus avoiding injury to the bottom face of the sheet 13 by the wires l5 oi an` adjacent lower form.4 The strips 16 may constitute screeds for leveling the concrete to secure a level floor oi uniform thickness, and may also serve as nailing strips'r for securing a wooden oor. 4,

. A convenientmethod oi fastening my improved form element to the floor `bea'rns is shown Fig. 3, wherein an I-beam oor'joist 17 is illustrated.

orfsupporting members 18 on opposite sides, said blocks being shaped to rit,l the beam, and being supported partly by the bottom ange thereof and partly by la metal stirrup 19 across the beam top, and fastened to each block 18 near the top. `A notch 20 is cut in the upper outer corner of each bloclc'to receive the edge or"` the sheetv l13 and the end of a sleeper l1. l Each pair ofdesired, although such lling is not essential to the use of my invention.

In constructing a floor embodying the principles of this invention, pairs of nailing blocks 18 are placed along the floor beam 17 at proper intervals to receive the ends of the sleepers l1. The iioor form units are then set between the beams, with the sleeper ends resting in the notches 20, and these ends may be nailed to their respective blocks, for example, as shown in Fig. 3.

After the form units have been fastened in place they are filled with concrete 2,4, or other hardening plastic material having the requisite strength, in the usual manner, and the concrete. is levelled oif. When the form is provided with nailing strips 16 constituting screeds, they may be filledv level with the tops of such strips or screeds 16. At this stage of the operations the sleepers 11 hold the form rigid, preventing the sheet 13 from being bulged by the weight of the g-reen concrete poured thereon. The sleepers and screeds are subsequently useful as nailing strips if a wooden iioor is to be laid over the concrete.

The invention is applicable to different kinds of oors, and is not restricted to the specific embodiment shown in the drawing.

I claimthe following as my invention:

1. A preformed floor and ceilingslab comprising, in combination, a sheet of preformed boardlike material, a waterproong layer on the upper surface thereof, a plurality of transverse supports adhesively secured to the upper surface thereof, reinforcing means attached to said supports and spaced from said boardlike material, connecting strips disposed.' above and transversely of said supports and above said reinforcing means, said slab being adapted to be filled with concrete above said waterproofing layer to the tops of said connecting strips.

2. A sound proof and heatproof floor and ceiling construction comprising joists and bays,

,each of said bays comprising a slab of reinforced concrete incorporated with a self-supporting form, said form comprising a plurality of transverse supports carried by said joists, a layer of insulating adhesive on the bottomsjthereof,

`a sheet of wall board secured therebeneath by said adhesive, a waterproong insulating layer on the upper side of said sheet, an extended reinforcing element carried by said supports in spaced relation to said sheet, connecting strips secured across the tops of said supports, and

concrete filling in said form above said sheet and top stirrup, and providing a seat for the .edge

of an adjacent form.

4. In a building construction comprising I- beams and permanent pre-assembled forms, supporting elements between said -beams and saidforms comprising blocks or supporting members arranged at intervals along saidv I-beams in pairs perpendicularly to said I-beams and supported by the bottom ilange thereof, each member of said pairs being secured toits companion by a top stirrup and having its lower inner edgel notched to receive the adjacent flange of the I-beam.

5. A pre-assembled floor form unit comprising, in combination, a plurality of parallel sleepers, reinforcement therebetween, handling strips connected perpendicularly to said sleepers, and a sheet of stiff material. attached beneath said sleepers constituting the bottom of said form unit.

6. A pre-assembled floor form unit comprising, in combination, a plurality of parallel sleepers, reinforcement therebetween, handling strips connectedj above said sleepers, crosswise thereof, and a sheet of stiff material attached beneath said sleepers constituting the bottom of said form, said form being adapted to be permanently secured between joists and tobe filled with plastic material for embodiment in the permanent floor structure;

'7.` A pre-assembled oor form comprising, in combination, a plurality of parallel transverse sleepers,v reinforcing means therebetween and resting thereon, the portions of said means between said' sleepers lying near the plane of the bottoms, thereof, a substantial thickness of sound-deadening binder on the bottoms of said sleepers, a sheet of stiff material adhesively Vsecured thereby, and a sound-deadening waterproof coating on the upper surface'of said ma terial.

8. A pre-assembled floor form comprising, in combination, a plurality of parallel transverse sleepers, reinforcing means therebetween and resting thereon, the portions of said means between said sleepers lying near'the plane' of the bottoms thereof, a substantialthickness of sound-deadening binder on the bottoms of said sleepers, a sheet of stiiT material adhesively secured thereby, and a sound-deadening waterproof coating on the upper surface of said material, said form being adapted for positioning between the beams of a door and to be filled with cementitious material, thereby constituting a permanent portion of the floor, said sheet of stiff material being adapted to constitute a sound-deadening ceiling.

9. A sound proof and heatproof floor and ceiling construction comprising joists and bays, each ofU said bays comprising a slab of reinforced concrete incorporated with a self-supporting form, said form comprising a plurality of trans-Y and concrete filling in said form above said sheet and between said joists.

10.l In a building construction comprising joists and permanent pre-assembled forms comprising, in combination, a plurality of parallel sleepers, reinforcement therebetween, and a sheet of stii'material attached beneath said sleepers, supporting elements between said joists and said forms comprising blocks or supporting members arranged at intervals along said joists in pairs perpendicularly to said joists, each member of said pairs being secured to its companion bya top stirrup, and providing a seat for theredge of an adjacent form.

11. In a building construction comprising flanged beams and pre-assembled forms adapted to be secured therebetween, connecting elements between said forms and said beam comprisblocks or supporting members the lower portions of which rest n flanges of said beams and the upper portions of which support the edges of said forms, and a filling of reproof material embedding said blocks and forming therewith a continuous insulation for the web of said beams.

12. 1n a building construction comprising iianged beams and pre-assembled forms adapted to be secured therebetween, connecting elements between said forms and said beams comprising blocks or supporting members the lower portions of whichl rest on flanges of said kbeams and thev upperportions of which support the edges of said forms, said blocks being arranged in pairs on opposite sides of said beams and connected together above and below said beams.

13. A pre-assembled floor form comprising, in combination, a plurality of parallel transverse sleepers, reinforcing means therebetween andv 

